If you’re sick of hearing the same Christmas music over and over and over again — and, let’s face it, you probably are — then let me propose an alternate solution to just white-knuckling it until December 26, or whenever your local grocery store and radio stations stop playing the holiday hits.
The only Christmas music playlist you will ever need
Sick of the typical holiday music? Try this playlist — which contains over a week’s worth of tunes.
Emily St. James was a senior correspondent for Vox, covering American identities. Before she joined Vox in 2014, she was the first TV editor of the A.V. Club.
It’s a Spotify playlist full of Christmas music.
No, no, no, hear me out! Created by the King of Jingaling, a.k.a. Brad Ross-MacLeod, a.k.a. the blogger behind FaLaLaLaLa.com (long the best internet repository for discussion of forgotten Christmas music, and a hub that connects a bunch of other essential Christmas music websites, like Ernie, Not Bert and Hip Christmas), this playlist collects the Christmas songs you know, but in versions you’ve maybe never heard before.
Because let’s face it: The problem with most Christmas music is that even if you like a given Christmas song, there are only two — maybe three — versions that get airplay on the radio and in public spaces, over and over, year after year. The King of Jingaling’s big list combats this problem by curating a wide variety of artists and musical styles to keep the party going.
Impressively, the list contains more than 3,600 songs — a full week’s worth of music. It’s called FaLaLaLaLa GREAT BIG Christmas Variety Shuffle List; here’s how the King himself described it when he launched it in 2018:
It leans heavily toward classic music from the 1940s to the 1970s; classic crooners and divas, ‘beautiful music’ orchestras, ‘Now Sound’ vocal groups and combos. But I wanted some more variety so there’s some jazz, classic rock, a smattering of subtle electronica, some international flavor, etc. I wanted a balance of the nostalgic and familiar with a bit of the modern and unexpected. As I’ve listened to it over the past several days I feel like it’s a nice mix and even I’m surprised by a song now and then.
The King of Jingaling has listened to more Christmas music than almost anybody I’m aware of. As he mentions in the excerpt above, his tastes skew toward the second half of the 20th century, but he’s included a massive variety of music. There’s a disco-infused “Little Drummer Boy,” a variety of tunes from the Seeburg Library (an easy-listening competitor to the more famous Muzak), and even some songs from artists you have heard of, like the Jackson Five and Perry Como and Harry Connick, Jr.
So whether you have a virtual holiday party to attend, presents to wrap, or last-minute shopping to do, put on this playlist. It’ll make your day that much more jolly, without driving you to desperately await the cold, snowy days of January and their decided lack of Christmas songs.
FaLaLaLaLa GREAT BIG Christmas Variety Shuffle List is streaming on Spotify.
